(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to amplifier systems, and more particularly to a bi-directional amplifier system supporting transmit and received signal amplification for half duplex mode operation.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In some satellite network communication systems, a handset (i.e., any microphone, earpiece and receiver assembly) can be coupled to an antenna via a cable. This is necessary to operate the handset indoors. Many such systems utilize the same frequency for transmit and receive paths in what is known as the half-duplex mode of operation. This is true of the well-known Iridium™ satellite telephone system. In these types of systems, the length of the cable coupling the handset to the antenna in a half-duplex system can be limited by cable losses. Thus, physical constraints imposed by an installation configuration for a half-duplex communication system places a heavy premium (e.g., due to insertion loss limits) on antenna and/or handset placement in order to prevent losses related to cable length. Unfortunately, optimal operational placement is not always compatible with optimal physical placement.